 “Unpleasant” Peanut Butter and Bread Flour Several schools have contacted our office indicating problems with the products listed above. PEANUT BUTTER: For the peanut butter recently shipped there have been reports of the product being darker than typical in color with a burnt odor and aftertaste. The product has a pack date of September 2003. Cases were randomly selected, opened and sampled at the warehouse in Sioux Falls. Staff reported no similar problems. Hopefully this is an isolated incidence for schools that have reported the problem with the peanut butter. For schools that have had a similar experience with this product and have not informed CANS, please contact our office. BAKERS HARD WHEAT BREAD FLOUR: Schools have also been reporting infestation problems with the bread flour received in September. The flour was a carry over item from last school year. However, it was well within the “best if used by date” timeframe. The product was properly stored at the warehouse. It should not have gone out of condition. The likely infestation culprit is flour beetles; the confused flour beetle and/or red flour beetle. The adults live for an average of eight months, but can live as long as three years. All life stages of the beetle can be found in infested product. Flour beetles are not known to carry or spread any diseases that could affect humans. They do, as some of you can attest, cause a disagreeable odor and taste to the product they infest.
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